The Feel Good Report: November 2012

The latest in health, fitness and beauty

By Michael Korb

Polynesian Pampering

Thanks to Naples resident Diana O’Donnell, owner and founder of Moana Beauty, we can all pretend we’re being caressed by a gentle Tahitian fl ower every morning, courtesy of her Tahitian-based line of beauty products. Utilizing the natural ingredients of the islands, Moana Beauty’s products are an amazingly luxurious way to honor your body. Our new favorite is the Tiare Monoi Sugar Scrub (16 oz., $60), which buffs your body with pure turbinado sugar and fragrant Tiare Monoi oil combined with natural Shea butter. Alpha hydroxy acid is a naturally occurring compound in raw cane sugar, which helps the exfoliation process. We also love their new Monoi Shaving Whip, a thick, gentle whipped unisex cleanser featuring 4 percent Monoi de Tahiti oil. Together they’re just like a morning in Bora Bora, but without the airfare. moanabeauty.com.

Like Jogging on the Moon

When NASA technology trickles down to the rest of us, the results can be amazing. For example, former NASA researcher Robert Whalen founded Alter-G, a company that making treadmills that utilize a waist-high air bag which, when infl ated, lifts runners off the treadmill so that they can use as much or as little of their weight when exercising. It’s like jogging on the moon. Just why would this “anti-gravity” treadmill be useful? For rehabilitation from injury or disease. It helps takes stress off of the body, thereby aiding in recovery. It can even be used for people who’ve put on a few too many pounds and can’t put the stress on their knees to take the weight off. You can check out the Alter-G treadmills at PhysioFit Therapy in Naples or Life Care Center of Estero. physiofi ttherapy.com; lcca.com; alterg.com.

No Computer Before Bed

How’ve you been sleeping? Not great? A little restless? Did you just get a new iPad or other tablet? It seems that researchers have discovered that use of electronic tablets, laptops or personal computers immediately before bed disrupts our sleep patterns—big time. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 90 percent of the American population regularly uses a computer or electronic device in the hour before going to bed. Apparently, the artificial light created by these devices messes with our brain patterns. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York discovered that exposure to the light from computers significantly reduced the level of the hormone melatonin, which plays a key role in regulating our internal clocks. Results from their study found that using the electronics for two hours reduced melatonin levels by 22 percent. Lower melatonin may raise the risk of obesity, diabetes and other disorders.

Wine Benefits in a Pill

A recent report in the American Journal of Cardiology says that resveratrol in pill form might soon be available. Resveratrol, the part of wine that is said to have anti-aging, anti-cancer and antioxidant benefits, has long been touted for its health benefi ts. But, until now, the teetotalers and designated drivers among us have been left out in the cold to wonder if they’ve chosen the wrong path. That is until now. The study examined the cardiovascular benefits of a resveratrol-rich supplement when given to a group of overweight 60-year-olds who smoked and suffered from hypertension and more. After 12 months of taking the resveratrol capsules, levels of C-reactive protein, a signal of cardiovascular infl ammation, dropped 26 percent. That’s pretty impressive, but still doesn’t make us want to give up the medicinal liquid that comes with a cork.

Telling Fewer Lies Can Improve Health

“I’m from the government and I’m here to help you.” “The check is in the mail.” “It’s not you, it’s me.” “Of course I’m getting a divorce.” If these seem like less than genuine statements, congratulations, you know lies when you hear them. And if you think people who lie are sick and need help, you might be right about that, too. A recent study found that telling fewer lies is beneficial to a person’s mental and physical health. A psychology professor at the University of Notre Dame examined 110 people ages 18 to 71 for 10 weeks. They were given lie detector tests then completed health and relationship measures to gauge the size and veracity of their fi bs in relation to how they feel. It turns out that when their lies increased, their health decreased and vice versa. When researchers told participants to cut back on the lying, health became significantly improved. (Not surprisingly, politicians were not part of the control group.)

The Latest Laser

Few things make us happier than local doctors getting brand new technology. And when, like the Palomar Icon Aesthetic System, it’s a new laser capable of everything from wrinkle and hair removal to stretchmark and scar reduction, we pretty much want to jump in the front of the line. (We need a lot of work.) Dr. Julia Harris, a doctor at Millennium Physician Group in Naples, is the fi rst in our area to take delivery of the laser, which features the Skintel reader—the only FDA-cleared melanin reader. That’s huge. It adds an additional element of confi dence by determining the average melanin density of the skin prior to treatment. “That means if you are, for example, of Mediterranean descent and have naturally darker skin tone, the machine can adjust to your tone and not just whiten the area unnaturally,” says Dr. Harris. Dr. Harris adds that the laser is faster and safer and capable of treating even the deepest of wrinkles. The line starts behind us. millenniumphysician.com